Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was evaluated as noncompensable under the VA rating schedule, and no higher rating is warranted based on current evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for a Travel Board hearing. The Veteran's appeal remains pending and will be further reviewed after the scheduled hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA regulations, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's audiometric results did not warrant a higher rating based on his service-connected condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have current perforated eardrum, hearing loss, pes planus, or respiratory disorder. The VA examination did not provide a clear opinion on whether any of these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable under the rating schedule, and there is no evidence to suggest that an extraschedular evaluation is warranted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his service, and grants service connection for this disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including clarification of the word list used in speech discrimination testing and numeric interpretation of the puretone thresholds graph provided by a private audiometric test.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder, residuals of cold exposure, arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for a low back disorder, and that there was insufficient evidence linking any current disabilities to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by his military service. The evidence did not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology after service, nor was there any medical opinion linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is related to military service and the Board finds that it was incurred therein.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unemployable, as he is able to perform substantially gainful employment despite his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for an updated VA examination of the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but these claims are being remanded for additional development.

The Board found no evidence of current hearing loss, back, or knee disabilities for VA purposes and denied the Veteran's claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus Type II, and a vision disorder claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus Type II. The decision found that although the Veteran had current diagnoses of these conditions, there was no evidence linking them to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating for the entire appeal period, and he is already receiving the maximum schedular benefit allowed by law. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied due to lack of legal basis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is service-connected, as it was incurred during his active duty. For the left ear, while there is evidence of hearing loss since discharge from service, the Board finds insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the current condition and service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by military service, nor may they be presumed to have been of service onset. The VA examiner concluded it was less likely than not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus and hearing loss has been denied. The Board found that the current ratings are appropriate, as there is no legal basis to grant an increased rating.